Electrically signaling from moving trains.



No. 863,609. PATENTED AUG. 20, 41907. A.' D. JNES.

ELEGTRIGALLY SIGNALING PROMMOVING TRAINS.

APPLIGATION FILED 1320.3, 1906.

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A. D. JONES.

NLBCTRIGALLY SIGNALING PROM MOVING TRAINS.

APPLICATION AFILED DEU. 3, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVA D. JONES, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF FIFTY AND ONE-HALFONE- I-IUNDREDTI-IS TO THEODORE HARRIS, W. O. BRADLEY, AND JAMES GAYLE,TWENTY ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO FRANK A. FULLER, EDGAR D. MARTIN, AND TIN, ANDSEVEN ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO JOHN O.

AARON G. MAR- STROTHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1907.

Application filed December 3. 1906. Serial No. 846,124.

To all wltom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALvA D. JONES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Louisville, in the county ol' Jefferson land State oiKentucky, have invented 5 Certain new and useiul Improvements inApparatus ior Telephoning, Telegraphing, or Otherwise ElectricallySignaling from Moving Trains; and I do hereby declare the followingr tobe a full, clear7 and exact description oi the invention, such as willenable others l skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

The present apparatus is designed to perform the same general resultthat is secured by the apparatus of my Patent N o. 714,189, datedNovember 25, 1902, and the l present improvements are additional to theapparatus embraced in that patent.

In the present instance, I prefer to employ a complete metallic circuitinstead oi a grounded circuit as in my former patent, and for thatreason there are two 2O line wires and the contact device is induplicate, one for each wire. I would have it understood however that.the present apparatus may be operated with a single line wire and agrounded circuit, in which event only one oi the contact devices need beemployed.

As in my former patent I employ an absorbent pad that is moistened bysteam from the dome or other part oi' the locomotive boiler. andinterposed between the pad andthe steam pipe I locate a receptaclecontaining soluble chemicals. Instead of making direct contact, however,between the pad and the line wire, I employ a brush oi metallicbristles, and make the contact with the line wire through this brush.

The present improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawingforming part of this specification, wherein,

Figure l is an enlarged elevation of the apparatus disconnected from thelocomotive, Fig. 2 is a partial view in plan 'showing the contact devicein operative connection with the line wires, Fig. 3 is a view looking 40from the iront of the locomotive, the contact device being shown inoperative position in full lines, and out of operation in dotted lines,and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a locomotive with my Contact deviceapplied, showing the means for raising and lowering it.

Referring to these views, a denotes an arm that is hinged or pivoted atits lower end to the front cross bar b of the locomotive. At its upperend the arm a carries a supplemental biiurcated arm c that is extensiblyand adjustabl-y connected to the pivoted arm, the preierable means formaking this extension and adjustment being the making of the arm atubular, and setting the lower end oi the arm c in its upp'er end, setscrews d being provided for the purpose of positioning the bifurcatedarm at various elevations.

My present preference being for an all metallic circuit, a pair of linewires is employed, as indicated in Fig. 3, and each fork ol thebifurcated arln c carries a metallic brush e, (the construction of whichwill be presently described) for making the necessary sliding contactwith the line wires. As above stated, however, a single line wire and agrounded circuit may be employed, in which case, the bifurcated arm cmay be turned one quarter around and secured by the set screws d inposition so that both brushes may Contact in tandem with the singlewire, or, if preferred, one of the brushes may be omitted.

As will be readily understood, the line wires run parallel with therailway track, and they may either be erected at or about the levelindicated in Fig. 3. or elevated to any desired extent. The position oithe Contact carrying arm a is controlled from the locomotive cab bymeans of a rope or cord f which is connected to the arm, as shown inFig. 4, and extends over a roller g into convenient reach of theengineer in the cab.

When the device is not in use, the arm a stands vertically, as indicatedin Fig. land in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and for the purpose of holdingit steady in its vertical position, it is provided with a foot rest h onits inner side.

Each brush e is composed of metallic bristles, of phosphor bronze orother suitable wire set in a back 2'. of wood, such wooden back beingadjustably or otherwise secured in a tray-like holder Z that is mountedon the upper end of a fork of the bifurcated arm c, the vertical Sectionm of this fork prelerably being made of wood or suitable insulatingliber. As indicated in Fig. l, the bristles of the brush e extend allthe way through the wooden back t', and contact with a copper plate nwhich rests upon an absorbent pad o. The plate is preferably perforatedand the pad is made of leather or other suitable material, and is alsoprovided with perfoiations preferably carrying Cotton batting or othersuitable fibrous material, as in myformer patent. The pad, the copperplate and the brush back may all be adjustable secured in the tray-likeholder Z, and depending from the under side of the holder is areceptacle p for holding a soluble chemical, and the receptacle is inopen communication with the absorbent pad through a pipe s which alsoextends through the copper plate and the wooden back of the brush and isopen at its upper end so as to keep the pad, the plate and the bristlesin a moistened condition and to maintain an aqueous chemically saturatedvapor in the brush for the purpose of increasing the conductivity of thebrush. Although I may employ the chemicals described in my formerpatent, I prefer in this instance toruse a combination of sulfate ofcopper and chlorid of sodium in the proportions of about one part of thecopper to six parts oi the salt, these substances being iinely powderedbefore being put into the receptacle, so that the condensation of thelsteam passing through the receptacle, is sufficient to hold thechemicals in solution and distribute them to the pad, the brush, wiresand the atmosphere adjacent to the wires. This chemical receptacle maybe of any suitable con struction, and be located in any convenientposition. It is connected with the dome or other steam space of thelocomotive boiler by a rubber or other flexible pipe t, so that steamfrom the boiler may pass through the chemical receptacle and keep thepad and the brushes in a moistened condition, as above explained. Theperiorationsin the copper plate are for the purpose oi allowing thechemically saturated steam to pass freely through the plate on to thebristles of the brush, and, if preferred, the wooden back of the brushmay also be perforated l`or the same purpose.

Fig. l. shows the wires x, x/ leading from the contact device or devicesabove described, to the telephones, telegraphs or other instruments forelectrical signaling installed in the cars. No iurther illustration ordescription of this connection is necessary, except to say that thewires are preferably connected, as illustrated in Fig. l to the copperplate n.

The construction being as thus described, the operation will besufiiciently understood by those skilled in the art, without furtherexplanation, especially when reference is made to my patent abovereierred to, and it is remembered that the present improvements have fortheir purpose the same general object, and the operative characteristicsol the two constructions are practically the same.

What l claim isz- 1. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprisinga metallic brush adapted to make sliding contact with a line conductor,a steam pipe for maintaining an aqueous vapor in the brush, and areceptacle for soluble chemicals between the pipe and the brush.

2. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising a lnetallic brushadapted to make sliding contact with the line conductor, said brushhaving a wooden back with the bristles extending through it, anabsorbent pad contacting with the back of the brush and the exposed endsof the bristles, and a steam pipe for maintaining the pad in moistenedcondition.

An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising a metallic brushadapted to make sliding contact with the line conductor, said brushhaving a wooden back with the bristles extending through it, anabsorbent pad contacting with the back of the brush and the exposed endsof the bristles, a steam pipe for maintaining the pad in moistenedcondition, and a receptacle for soluble chemicals between the pipe andthe pad.

4. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising a metallic brushadapted to make sliding contact with the line conductor, said brushhaving a wooden back with the bristles extending through it, anabsorbent pad contacting with the back of the brush and the exposed endsof the bristles, a steam pipe for maintaining the pad in moistenedcondition, and a copper' plate interposed between the pad and the brushback.

5. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising a verticallyswinging arm provided with means for raising and lowering the same fromthe locomotive cab, a supplemental bifurcated arm extensibly andadjustably connected with the pivoted arm, and a metallic brush carriedby each fork of the bifurcated arm and adapted to make contact with theline conductor.

G. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising a pivoted armprovided with means for raising and lowering it from the locomotive cab,a supplemental arm extensibly and adjustably connected with said pivotedarm, and a metallic brush carried by the supplemental arm and adapted tomake sliding contact with the line conductor, said supplemental armhaving an insulated section.

7. An apparatus ior the purpose described, comprising an arm pivoted onthe front cross-beam of the locomotive so as to swing vertically andlaterally, and provided with means for raising and lowering it from thelocomotive cab, a foot rest to brace the arm when in elevated position,and a metallic brush carried by the arm and adapted to make slidingcontact with the line conductor. i

S. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising a pair ot' lineconductors, an arm pivoted on the front cross-beam of the locomotive,means for raising and lowering the arm laterally from the locomotivecab, a supple mental bifurcated arm extensibly and adjustably connectedwith the pivoted arm, a metallic brush carried by each fork of thebifurcated arm and adapted to make sliding contact with one or anotherof the line conductors, an absorbent pad in contact with the back of thebrush and its bristles, a receptacle for containing soluble chemicalscommunicating with each pad, and steam pipes communicating with thereceptacles and taking steam from the locomotive boiler.

f). An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising a vertically andlaterally swinging arm pivoted on the front cross beam of thelocomotive, and provided with means for raising and lowering it from thelocomotive cab, a supplemental bifurcated arm adjustably and rotatablyconnected with the pivoted arm, and a metallic brush carried by eachfork ofthe bifurcated arm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.-

ALVA D. JONES.

Witnesses z Heimen A. LINDSAY, .Tanns QUAkLns.

